mattam pramattam unmattam suptam valam striam jadam prapannam viratham bhitam na ripum hanti dharmavit.
Synonyms
mattam—careless; pramattam—intoxicated; unmattam—insane; suptam—asleep; valam—boy; striam—woman; jadam—foolish; prapannam—surrendered; viratham—one who has lost his chariot; bhitam—afraid of; na—not; ripum—enemy; hanti—kill; dharmabit—one who knows the principles of religiosity.
Translation
A person, who knows the principles of religiosity, does not kill an enemy who is careless, intoxicated, insane, asleep, a boy, a woman, a foolish creature, a surrendered soul, devoid of his chariot, afraid of etc.
Purport
An enemy who does not resist is never killed by an warrior who knows the principles of religion. Formerly battles were fought on the principles of religion and not for the sake of sense gratification. If the enemy happened to be intoxicated, asleep etc. as above mentioned, he was never to be killed. These are some the codes of religious war. Formerly war was never declared by the whims of selfish political leaders but it was carried on religious principle free from all vices Violence carried on religious principles is far superior than so-called non violence.